3 Massive Marketing Mistakes You Must Avoid

29 October 2012

Just the other day I was on a call with some of my clients who shared some of the recent successes that have come their way: going from zero to six clients, being able to leave a soul-sucking job, signing a contract worth five figures and so much more.

To step into results just like they shared with me, it makes sense that you too want to have the practical aspects in place for business success.

The best place to start is to learn about the three massive marketing and selling mistakes most creative entrepreneurs make and, most importantly, how you can avoid them.

Massive Marketing Mistake No. 1: You never or barely ever ask for business.

If you spend a lot of time behind your computer, having pretty marketing tools but no direct call to action, then you aren’t really marketing.

Or maybe you do get out there to a networking event but you don’t invite anyone to have a potential client conversation with you. Maybe you’re embarrassed or think that you’re being pushy.

Or here’s my favorite sabotage story: “my marketing is going to be word-of-mouth. I want to be that type of entrepreneur.” Here’s the thing; “word-of-mouth marketing” actually has the least amount of energy according to the energetic spheres of marketing influence.

Or maybe you give a sample session — but that just gives away your service. You’ve got to stop that right now; that’s a lot of time and energy and no money. It’s no wonder you’re feeling exhausted and resentful and maybe even questioning your worth.

Let’s understand why and what’s really happening here. What I see with so many entrepreneurs is that success can be so scary that they invite in sabotage to blow it. The fear that if you have success, then you’ll lose it is great. You’d rather complain about not having the success than go for it and realize your worst fears: that you actually can’t have it. Does that make sense?

The key to move away from this mistake: change the story. Stop acting from a place of sabotage.

You can start right now by living your way into it by asking for business. This was tremendous for one of my clients who currently is a Spiritual Leader, private mentor client. When she and I first connected, she was super-super busy — she was exhausted.

She did not have income; she was barely making anything.

She’ll happily tell you now that was a hobby — her bank account

currently has mid-five figures in it and she just signed on a five-figure client. It’s super-super important that we are able to differentiate between being busy and being in business. One of the keys is asking for business.

Massive Marketing Mistake No. 2

You assume you understand your client’s problem.

When you speak to your potential clients, you’re trying so hard to get it right and not wanting to seem pushy that you miss what’s going on for your prospects. You assume you know why they are inquiring about the service you offer — because this is your area of expertise. Most of the language you use is about you, what you have to offer and how you can offer support.

But, a powerful connection is not happening, and then you’re right back to feeling frustrated when another client does not sign on. You may even be angry when that happens; any of this ringing true? If it is, just acknowledge it and write it down. That’s the first step to creating change.

Why is this important? The reason anyone buys anything is because of how they believe it will make them feel. If you have a true connection, it shows you value the other person, that you really want to understand what’s going on with them, which fosters feelings of trust and security. This is the bottom line.

When you can really master this, you can move from convincing energy to curiosity energy which is the direct route to true connection and true connection is the key to unshakeable confidence.

Massive Marketing Mistake No. 3

You avoid activating the client’s commitment.

This is about avoiding receiving payment right up front as part of your system, when someone says ‘Yes, I want to work with you.’

Bottom line, commitment is one of the highest energies of all and the way we activate commitment in our society is through financial investment. Without commitment you are fundamentally ambivalent. And, for your unconscious mind, this keeps everything at bay. You wonder why clients disappear or why prospects don’t follow through and show up for the call they said they want to have. Why are clients not following through? Because you let them.

If you do not receive a financial commitment, you are actually creating a disservice for your clients. You may tell yourself you’re being flexible, trusting, easy-going, but the truth is, you are being ambivalent. So if I haven’t made it clear already, it’s super important to activate the commitment. First and foremost, it raises your energy and when you raise your energy, people are naturally attracted to you and it starts to feel seamless and so easy. It’s the secret ingredient to marketing and selling, right there. You’ll begin to experience instant manifestation abilities.

When you hold standards, your clients rise to meet those standards, and again, your service begins before the first session. It begins in your marketing, it continues during your selling conversation and it completes when you render your service. When you go above and beyond, above and beyond results are brought back to you.

Your Call To Action:

1) Ask for business.

2) Be curious! Never assume you understand your client’s problems.

3) Activate commitment.

What needs to be in place to create a significant shift away from these mistakes and into prosperity all around? The key is a combination of the inner and the outer; it’s not one or the other, and this is a mistake that I see so many entrepreneurs make. They either wing-it or script-it but, the truth is, you need both.